🇬🇷 Episode 5 — Santorini boat trip: volcano, hot springs and Thirassia

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A long stairway, a boat waiting below and three stops in the caldera: on 30 October we spent the day on the water.

The itinerary included the hot springs, Nea Kameni volcano and Thirassia island. We paid around US$38.5 per person in 2023.

Getting down to Fira’s old port

The boat leaves from the old port below Fira.

Do not confuse it with Ammoudi below Oia or the island’s other ports. Check the exact meeting point before departure.

From Fira, a long stairway of nearly 600 steps leads to the sea. The cable car also links the town and harbour.

Donkey rides were offered, but we recommend walking if suitable for you, or taking the cable car.

Include this descent in your timing: arriving in Fira does not mean you are already at the boarding point.

First stop: the hot springs

The excursion begins at the hot springs.

The boat stops away from the swimming area. To bathe, you enter the sea and swim to the warmer water.

The important detail: you do not step straight into a warm pool. You need to be comfortable swimming through cooler seawater.

We chose to stay on board and watched the others swim towards the springs.

Walking on Nea Kameni

From the boat, the cliffs’ layers of rock become clearer and the villages seem perched far above. The central volcanic islets are more bare. The excursion connects the views from previous days with Santorini’s volcanic origins.

We then landed on Nea Kameni.

The volcanic landscape contrasts with the white villages: dark ground, sparse vegetation and bare terrain. Successive eruptions formed the island, the last in the mid-twentieth century.

The path climbs, but we found it manageable at our own pace. Our time ashore allowed us to enjoy it without rushing.

A guide accompanied the visit. On our excursion, you could also explore more freely while following instructions and returning to the boat on time.

Suitable shoes are advisable because the ground is uneven.

Thirassia: climbing from Korfos to Manolas

The final stop was Thirassia, the island opposite Santorini.

From Korfos harbour, we climbed the steps to Manolas. It takes some stamina, but we had time to explore the upper village and have lunch.

Several restaurants were still open when we visited, and we enjoyed the unhurried atmosphere.

You do not have to climb to enjoy the stop. Some passengers stayed at the harbour, where they could eat and spend time by the sea.

Our thoughts on the excursion

We enjoyed seeing the caldera from the water and discovering very different scenery in a single day.

The trip combines several experiences and optional efforts: reaching the port, walking on the volcano and climbing to Manolas.

You can adapt your participation, particularly for swimming and the climb on Thirassia. That is useful to know before booking.

After the boat trip we ended the day in Firostefani: see sunset at the Three Bells of Fira and our dinner at Aktaion.

Map: Santorini

Find our sightseeing stops, accommodation and restaurants. Suggested places we did not visit are marked separately on the map.

Episodes from our trip to Greece

• Full itinerary — Greece in 11 days: Santorini, Meteora, Delphi and Athens
• 🇬🇷 Episode 1 — Oia and Ammoudi: our first steps in Santorini
• 🇬🇷 Episode 2 — Imerovigli and Skaros: our favourite views in Santorini
• 🇬🇷 Episode 3 — Pyrgos, Emporio and Megalochori: Santorini’s villages
• 🇬🇷 Episode 4 — Southern Santorini: Zoodochos Pigi, Perissa and Red Beach
• 🇬🇷 Episode 5 — Santorini boat trip: volcano, hot springs and Thirassia
• 🇬🇷 Episode 6 — Santorini sunsets: our viewpoints and favourite restaurants
• 🇬🇷 Episode 7 — Meteora in two days: monasteries, viewpoints and a walk
• 🇬🇷 Episode 8 — Visiting Delphi: Apollo’s sanctuary, museum and Athena Pronaia
• 🇬🇷 Episode 9 — Athens: our visits from the Acropolis to Lycabettus
• 🇬🇷 Episode 10 — Cape Sounion at sunset: the Temple of Poseidon

Planning your visit

Greek National Tourism Organisation.

Currency note: prices were paid in euros. US dollar amounts use an illustrative conversion of €1 = US$1.10 for readability; this is neither a live rate nor the rate applied to our 2023 payments.